Some things to record

Elenora Mae is a beautiful, amazing, fun baby. She brings us joy every day and she appears to be developing such an engaging personality. These are things that she does at 11 months old.

---Says "mama", "baba", "oof, oof" (dog), "aaaagh" (lion), "ga!" and recently, "dada"
---crawls very fast when she wants to, down the hall, through rooms, over legs
---points at people and things, hears the train and points, smiles at strangers
---loves eating very healthy foods (vegetables and fruits, some grains and dairy)
---she likes snuggling and tosses her head back with a big smile
---is learning to dance, swiveling her torso from side to side
---responds to "where are your teeth?", "where is your hair?", "where is your belly?"
---has beautiful strawberry blond hair with a little curl
---will walk around if you hold her hands
---really enjoys going for stroller rides
---has a great time looking at ducks and geese at Russell Orchards
---truly enjoys looking at books and having them read to her (picture books)
---knows what each individual toy is called, and knows where their eyes and nose are.
---smiles at her porcelain toy dog, "Bluey"
---points at the sky when you ask her, "Where's Jesus?"

developments

I have to post. I finally received word last Friday that I GOT the job I was hoping to get. Not only that, but out of the two available positions, I got the one that is closer to home and better overall. I'm so happy. We're so thankful.

Now, for some reason, my anxiety has gone through the roof in the last week. It started with a perceived chest pain in the early morning. It then changed into a constant hyperfocusing on my breathing and heart. Next came a persistent fear of either heart attack or stroke. Yesterday, the doctor listened to my heart and said it's fine. He said, "you're completely healthy except for your anxiety level." My wife could've given me that same diagnosis, minus the co-pay.

It's dawned on me in the past week that I've been terribly anxious about MANY things in my life. It's beginning to seem like the focus of my anxiety changes, but the anxiety itself is sort of always there. I appear to meet the criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Nice. A therapist with his own mental illness.

So, I start a new and good job on Friday of this week. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and daughter. And now a good job. The doctor says I also have my health.

My rational mind says to the dysfunctional side: "Be happy and enjoy what you have!" May it be so.